The Hit Parade 1942: 25 Original Hit Recordings by the Original Artists

by Various Artists

There's no shortage of pop collections from the early 1940s, and this one is a little skimpy in terms of annotation (none), but it is generous where it counts most, in terms of music (25 songs). The mix includes all of the expected material, by Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, Glenn Miller, Harry James, Dinah Shore, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Spike Jones, Woody Herman, and Kate Smith -- even Kay Kyser puts in an appearance with Harry Babbitt and Julie Conway, on "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle." Some of the songs represented may be better known in other versions, but everything here is solidly entertaining, and hearing a slightly off-brand version of a standard can be a virtue. The mastering is clean and reasonably bright. And as an added listening virtue, the disc has the delightful temerity to open with what has to be the campiest song here, "Tonight We Love" by Freddy Martin with Clyde Rogers on vocals. ~ Bruce Eder